The present invention relates to a lithotripsy work station which may be employed, for example, for disintegrating kidney stones and other types of calculi.
In many conventional stations for externally applying shock waves to a patient to disintegrate calculi, the patient must be placed in a tub filled with water which acts as a medium via which shock waves from a shock wave generator are transmitted to the calculi for disintegration thereof.
It is an object of the present invention to provide a universal lithotripsy work station which permits the following operations to be undertaken:
(1) Shock wave treatment, particularly disintegration of renal and ureteral calculi.
(2) Urological treatments including percutaneous nephrostomy.
(3) X-ray examinations.
The above objects are achieved in accordance with the principles of the present invention in a lithotripsy work station which includes a patient supporting table which is adjustable in three directions, with at least one shock wave generator for renal calculi disintegration being arranged beneath the table. The shock wave generator can be coupled to the patient's skin via a membrane. The shock wave generator is adjustably mounted so that movement of the focus thereof to an isocenter is possible.
For locating renal calculi, an x-ray examination apparatus is provided which includes an x-ray unit for transilluminating at various angles. The x-ray apparatus has two x-radiators, each of which emits a central ray. The plane defined by the two central rays passes through the longitudinal axis of the patient supporting table, with the radiators disposed such that one radiator emits radiation in an anterior-posterior (a.p.)-direction and the second radiator emits radiation in the caudal-cranial (c.c.) direction. The patient supporting table includes means for accomodating attachment of auxiliary urological equipment and for attachment of an x-ray exposure means.
In one embodiment of the invention, the radiators of the x-ray apparatus are both mounted in a common housing which is adjustable in a vertical plane. In this embodiment, it is possible to displace the radiators upwardly in the examination room when they are not required for locating calculi. The radiators can be displaced upwardly to such a degree that they do not impede the physician in any activities which he or she may undertake, particularly for percutaneous operations. The housing may include a universal connector for optional connection the ceiling or wall of the examination room, or to a vertical post.